Public Health England publishes room temperature recommendations
09 October 2023
Guidance from Public Health England has been published, recommending that room temperatures should be lowered, leading to lower energy bills. This is supported by Swale Heating, the South East’s largest independent heating company.
Previously, Public Health England stated that rooms occupied during the day should be kept at a minimum of 21°C, and 18°C at night. But this has now changed to a new recommendation of at least 18°C day or night. This means that your room's temperature can be lowered by 3°C, possibly saving you around £100 a year*.
Swale Heating agrees with this advice, pointing out that, for every degree that your thermostat is turned down, you can cut your energy bills around 4%*.
The company’s CEO Matthew Edwards says: “Public Health England found that the previous guidelines were based on outdated World Health Organisation figures from 30 years ago. This review has resulted in the lower recommendation of at least 18°C, which it says poses minimal risk to the health of a sedentary person, wearing suitable clothing in winter.”
This guidance says that below that level, the danger of stroke or heart attack begins to increase. However, Public Health England adds that those aged over 65, and those with medical conditions, may benefit from a slightly higher temperature.
Matthew says: “We all want to cut the rising costs of keeping our homes warm, so following advice like this makes sense. Everyone can take a few simple steps right away and save energy as well as money.
“If you have a programmer, set it so that the heating only comes on when needed. Controlling your room's temperature room-by-room can save around £150 a year*. Replacing a 10-year-old boiler with an efficient A-rated one could reduce your energy bills by around 25-30%.”
This news is reassuring as thousands of homes can benefit from lowering their temperatures, which is more economical and energy efficient.
What's more, you can read about more money saving tips, here, on Swale Heating's website.